taxes. a year ago, that tax rate was lowered from 6.2% to 4.2%. and for a lot of families, that comes to about $80 a month. house republicans wanted a longer extension and they threatened to let the tax cut expire if they didn't get their way. but today they backed down and the president was quick to grab his pen. sharyl attkisson has been covering from the capitol to the white house. >> i said it was critical for congress not to go home without preventing a tax increase on 160 million working americans and i'm pleased to say that they've got it done. >> reporter: the president couldn't have asked for a better sendoff for his hawaii holiday. a week ago, nobody predicted democrats would win such a decisive p.r. victory as tax cutters looking out for middle-class workers while republicans stood in the way. house republicans failed at their attempt to hold out for a full one-year extension of the payroll tax cut. instead, it's renewed for just

two months. it saves a thousand dollars a year for a worker earning a $50 salary. the deal was sealed today in a remarkable session of the house and senate which had basically closed up shop. >> the house stands adjourned until 1:00 p.m. tuesday, december 27. >> reporter: leaders were able to expedite the tax cut extension as long as not one single member objected. nobody did. >> happy new year as well. >> reporter: the democrats' leader in the senate, harry reid took the chance to lecture house republicans whom he he blamed for all the trouble. >> everything we do around here does not have to wind up in a fight. that isn't the way things need to be. >> reporter: reid specifically directed his remarks to house freshmen and said that he hoped they'd learned a lesson. >> pelley: well, sharyl, a lot of those freshmen are tea party members. i wonder what they said today. >> reporter: well, the paper statements that some of them released today indicate they are not happy. one of them, for example, released a statement that called the two-month extension a bad deal. "a gimmick."

and said the house caved yet again to president obama and senate democrats. >> pelley: sharyl, thanks very much. the bill signed today also extends unemployment benefits for nearly two million americans whose unemployment checks would have stopped in january. the president is asking congress to come back after the holiday and extend the tax cut and benefits for a full year. in syria, a troubling escalation in the uprising against the assad dictatorship. today, car bombs were used for the first time since the protests began nine months ago. the government says at least 44 people were killed. the two powerful bombs exploded moments apart. outside the offices of government intelligence in damascus. the cars were ripped apart and windows blown out blocks away. the assad dictatorship quickly blamed al qaeda and that would fit the government's contention that the uprising against assad

is led by terrorists. but one rebel group claimed today that it's more likely that the government bombed its own buildings to discredit the rebellion. it was in march that the protests were met with troops and tanks, the assad family has ruled syria for 41 years. first hafez al-assad and now his son bashar. they have suppressed all opposition and in 1982 the regime killed tens of thousands of civilians. assad has been under growing pressure since the transformation known as the arab spring. dictators have fallen in egypt, tunisia, and libya. president obama has called on assad to step down and syria's neighbors, turkey and jordan, are also calling for an end to the regime. while the assad government blamed al qaeda, our independent reporting shows that opponents of assad are not islamic

terrorists. syria does not allow reporters to work freely, but recently cbs news correspondent clarissa ward slipped into the country and met the rebels. we can't show you their faces, they risked their lives to talk to us. >> reporter: late one night we were blindfolded and taken to meet members of the free syrian army, soldiers who have defected from syria's feared military. they say because they refused to fire on protesters. they admit to carrying out attacks on government security forces. "our military operations are well organized" the leader told me. "but our main essential task is to protect civilians." today the free syrian army denied any connection to the bombing. the regime has called syria's pro-democracy activists terrorists and thugs, but in a damascus apartment, we met young men and women killed by caffeine and cigarettes and a thirst for freedom. >> i dream about a country where

i can stand up and say my opinion. that's the main thing. >> reporter: it may sound simple but many have paid a high price for speaking out against the regime. the u.n. estimates that at least 5,000 people have been killed during the nine-month crackdown and many more have been wounded. this man told us he was shot four times by security forces at a protest he attended in july. he has suffered from serious medical problems ever since. his mother went. "i pray to god to relieve us of the regime" she said. driving around the capital, the regime still looms large. the driver regularly told me to put the camera down, warning of the all-seeing eye of pro-government militants who wear no uniform known as the shabiha. but just outside damascus the unrest is spreading. we were taken to a protest in the suburb of arbeen.

300 yards away, but the protesters kept chanting "hey, we will be victorious. hey, we fear no one but allah." the next day we attended the funeral of a 16-year-old boy who locals said had been killed by security forces at a protest the day before. the crowd called for international military intervention in a conflict the united nations fears is sliding into civil war. >> pelley: clarissa filed her report on syria from afghanistan today where she is on assignment. a u.s. official tells us tonight that the the united states is offering to help libya buy back sophisticated missiles from the militias that overthrew dictator moammar qaddafi. the missiles were unguarded, and now they there's worry they could fall into the wrong hands. elizabeth palmer found out just how easy those missiles are to

come by. >> reporter: wherever the libyan government does get hold of a batched of shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles, defense technicians systematically disable the guidance system. but programs like this one are a drop in the bucket. 170 were destroyed here, but thousands are believed missing. the fear is they're finding their way into the hands of smugglers. as this al qaeda training video shows, they are a weapon of choice for terrorists. we went to visit a bunker this fallout side tripoli where explosives experts did recover seven vehicle-mounted surface-to-air missiles. but they had to leave at least two behind, wedged under concrete at an unguarded site. everyone wants these missiles secured, but libya's government is not enthusiastic about a u.s. plan under consideration to buy them back. a libyan military source tells cbs news the government doesn't want to create a black market

for these weapons. it's just launched its own program to reintegrate the rebel fighters who toppled colonel qaddafi. turn in your weapons, these men are being told, and in return you can have a job, interest-free loans or education. a buyback program might threaten these efforts, especially if rebels believe there's more money to be made selling deadly missiles. elizabeth palmer, cbs news, london. >> pelley: u.s. defense secretary leon panetta was in tripoli last week to see whether the u.s. can help the new government form a professional army. britain's prince phillip was hospitalized this evening after suffering chest pains. buckingham palace says the queen's 90-year-old husband underwent minor surgery to open a blocked coronary artery. he is expected to remain in the hospital far few days. world leaders gathered in prague today for the funeral of vaclav havel, the anti-communist

dissident who became the czech president. secretary of state hillary clinton led the american delegation, which included her husband, former secretary of state madeleine albright spoke in her native czech calling havel a citizen of the world who brought light to the darkest places. winter is here, but where's all the snow? a dazzling light snow from a newly discovered comet. and huge crowds storm the stores just to buy basketball shoes when the "cbs evening news" just to buy basketball shoes when the "cbs evening news" continue how about the beat of a healthy heart? campbell's healthy request soup is delicious, and earned this heart, for being heart healthy. ♪ feel the beat? it's amazing what soup can do.

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i think we have our answer. geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. >> pelley: most americans dreaming of a white christmas will have to go on dreaming. snowfall will be limited just a little bit here and there and a lot of people who make a living on snow are worried. we asked michelle miller to find out what's driving our unusual holiday weather. >> reporter: the grand opening at the bear streak mountain ski resort was anything but grant. it was a balmy 42 degrees and just one of the 21 trails was open for snowboarders like haley schulz. >> the conditions are really rough. there's not much snow. >> reporter: last december, nature provided 20 inches of snow here. all of this snow was man made thanks to snow-make magazines

which cost nearly $5,000 an hour. mark schroetel is the bear creek general manager. >> our groomers were out. they said that they could literally watch the snow melt as they were pushing it up the mountain. >> reporter: much of the station in is in a snow drought. just 29.7% of the country is blanketed by snow. last december it was 44.8%. amarillo, texas, has had more snowen this this season than fargo, chicago, buffalo, and green bay. but the northeast has seen the biggest climate change. meteorologist mike halpert points to the weather phenomenon called the north atlantic oscillation, a mass of air over greenland which controls wind pattern and storm tracks. when it's in its positive phase-- as it is now-- the jet stream is high, keeping the cold air north, preventing that air from falling south into the united states. only 32% of the northeast is covered by snow. last year was just the opposite.

84% of the northeast was a blanket of snow because the north atlantic oscillation was in the negative phase. >> when it's in the positive phase, more often than not we'll have milder-than-average days. it certainly doesn't rule out some briefer periods of cold weather. >> reporter: if skiers stay away christmas week, schroetel estimates his resort could lose $2 million and his losses could deepen. forecasts indicate warmer-than-usual temperatures east of the rockies through march. michelle miller, cbs news, macungie, pennsylvania. >> pelley: we're used to seeing frantic shoppers this time of year, but not like this. hundreds surged into a mall in indianapolis. they pushed so hard they ripped a door off. all of this to buy the latest pair of nike air jordan shoes which go for $180. the hype around the shoes and their scarcity triggered mob

scenes across the country. one man was stabbed in new jersey. police used pepper spray on shoppers outside seattle. tonight, nike says it is "extremely concerned." the latest feature on some new cars, autobrakes that stop before it's too late. that's next.

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>> pelley: the holiday getaway is under way tonight.

between now and january 2, a.a.a. expects nearly 92 million of us to be on the go. the vast majority, more than 83 million, will hit the roads. those roads are safer thanks to technology and now a new generation of cars may save even more lives. they ought matally take over for the driver to stop short of a crash. we asked mark strassmann to show us how it works. >> reporter: today's cars are the safest ever. but on average, 90 people die in crashes everyday. volvo's xc60 is part of the latest generation in auto safety. a car that can prevent a crash from happening at all. we tested it on the track of the insurance institute for highway safety in virginia. adrian lund heads the institute. >> for some reason you don't see traffic stopping in front of you it will bring this car to a complete stop, no crash. >> reporter: watch. i drove the volvo 15 miles per

hour right at a mock car made of foam rubber, never taking my foot off the gas. you can see it pulls right here. ray car in the volvo's grill scans 500 feet ahead and activates its low-speed auto braking system, standard on this $32,000 s.u.v. at 19 mile per hour or less the car can stop itself from hitting another vehicle. another optional system uses a camera to stop the car from hitting pedestrians. that's impressive. eight car makers have optional high speed auto brake systems everybody at highway speeds. in less than a second the system can slow the car as much as ten miles per hour. >> the low-speed systems limit damage and injury. the high-speed systems save

lives. when they scrub off some of that speed, that can be the difference between surviving the crash and dying in the crash. >> reporter: big difference. >> big difference. >> reporter: other safety systems already on the market include blind spot monitors and lane departure systems which help guide a car back on course if the driver accidentally veers into another lane. if you put all the systems in every vehicle, the insurance institute estimates they could save as many as one-third of the 33,000 people killed in crashes every year. can you envision if not a crash-proof car a fatality-proof car in the not too distant future into sfler >> i think we can envision a fatality-proof car. it's not to say we will actually get to zero deaths, but we're going to get very close to zero. >> reporter: how soon? >> i think we can be there in the next decade. >> reporter: by that time, lund says, the automatic braking system on the volvo today will

probably be standard equipment on all cars. mark strassmann, cbs news, ruckersville, virginia. >> pelley: the most remarkable picture that came into the newsroom today was of a newly discovered comet photographed from the space station. great picture. that's the earth at night below with lightning flashing in the clouds. now, look left. rising over the horizon, that's comet lovejoy named for the amateur astronomer who discovered it. it was spotted for the first time last month. comets are made of ice and dust. their tails blown behind them by solar radiation and that one is a beauty. santa's got a tall order. can he make a little girl's christmas wish come true? we go on the road next.

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louisiana... alabama. the gulf's america's get-a-way spot no matter where you go. so come on down and help make 2012 an even better year for tourism on the gulf. brought to you by bp and all of us who call the gulf home. ♪ [ male announcer ] campbell's green bean casserole. >> pelley: finally tonight, the best presents don't come with price tags and they don't require batteries. steve hartman with a lesson in the holiday spirit "on the road." >> ho, ho, ho!

>> reporter: when santa showed up at tar river elementary near ralley, north carolina, he not only brought gifts, he brought every second grader the exact toy they'd asked for in their letters. >> did everybody get what they wantd? >> yeah, obviously. every kid, that is, but bethany arnold who refused to ask him for a single toy. >> "dear santa, my daddy is in iraq, could you bring him home for christmas?" >> that would be the best gift of all. >> reporter: did you know you were asking for something that was kind of tough? >> yes, but... well, it's tough to go around the world in one night. >> reporter: that's true. >> and i never wanted anything more than that. >> reporter: bethany's dad, wyndal arnold, is a contractor in iraq. he's been working on that country's much-needed electrical infrastructure. >> i understand that he has to

stay and help people. >> reporter: she's only seen him two weeks in the last two years. >> but i do miss him a lot. >> reporter: last time they saw each other, while he was on leave in germany, they exchanged these key chains. >> this is his heart. >> reporter: she carries his while he holds on to hers. >> i told her, i said the next time i see you i'll give your heart back. >> reporter: unfortunately, bringing two hearts together at christmas isn't always a government priority, which is why this year bethany decided to appeal to a higher authority. santa. she even asked him again at school. >> santa, for christmas, i want my dad to come home. >> reporter: and that's when her wish began coming true. that's when she got her heart back. and that's when this santa revealed to all of us the true meaning of christmas. >> daddy!

>> reporter: there's not a toy in the workshop that ever got this kind of reaction. >> you sure you don't want something else? >> just so happy you're home. >> reporter: not a bow big enough to wrap the joy. steve hartman "on the road" near ralley, north carolina. >> pelley: anchors aren't supposed to cry-- but if they did. for all of us at cbs news all around the world, merry christmas to all and to all a good night. captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org

now, "entertainment tonight," the most watched entertainment newsmagazine in the world. there's never a time to give up. that doesn't happen. you make that happen. >> elizabeth taylor, amy winehouse, jech conaway. >> sooner or later, one day, i'm going to say, that's it, i'm free. >> the stars we lost in 2011. >> i made a lot of mistakes. >> "e.t." remembers the music icons. tv stars, film legends and the legacies they left behind. >> i wished i could do this forever. i can't, though. >> and elizabeth taylor's

jewels. the record-breaking auction. >> the stories behind the diamonds, emeralds and pearls. as we count down her top ten. >> sold to you! now in depth on the biggest entertainment stories from around the world. hello and welcome to "entertainment tonight," i'm mark steines. >> and for nancy o'dell, i'm samantha harris. we're looking back at the stars we lost in 2011. the people who touched our hearts and impacted our lives. we begin with the star who even nine months after her passing continues to make news. the legendary elizabeth taylor. diamonds. emeralds. pearls. her dazzling jules make headlines even today as christie's set a new world's sales record. nearly $157 million. >> 1.1 -- sold to you. $1.1 million. >> the journalist knows why christie's cashed in.

>> you had a star with global appeal and jewels with global appeal. >> home movies showed taylor casually wearing jewels poolside. she often wore the carat, 30 of it, around the house. >> of course, i do. i show them to my friends. >> her secret for keeping those gems so eye-pops was to wash them in baby shampoo, seems her love affair with sparklers began when she was a girl. >> i remember the piece i bought my mother and i saved up for it. it cost $25. that gave me so much satisfaction to be able to buy her something that i chose with my own money. >> now, "e.t." counts down the other "e.t.'s" top ten jewels. here's number ten this cartier correction, it sold more than

$3.7 million. now, number nine. >> $480,500. >> an emerald and diamond bracelet by bvlgari graced with 13 emeralds accented by diamonds. sold for a stunning $4 million. this auction is not a catalog of cool gems, a reflection of a beauty who lived a rich, full life. number eight. >> the beautiful tiara worn in 1957. >> the mike todd diamond tie year ya after a husband who died tragically. the nine spires of diamond are mounted in platinum and gold. 4.2 million. our number seven is from husband number five, richard burton. >> christmas 1968. >> this ruby and diamond ring focuses on the 8.2 carat ruby

with diamonds mounted in 18 karat gold. another gift from burton. this for her 40th birthday. by bvlgari. it sold for $5.9 million. th after all, she met her final husband larry in the betty ford center. >> she was not just a star and wealthy woman and had many lovers, she was really admired for what she did for aids. she was really a popular person. >> more on elizabeth's incredible life coming up. plus, which five jewels were the highest selling at her record-breaking auction. we'll show you. but right now, we just told you about elizabeth's stay at the betty ford center. 2011 marked the passing of the first lady.

a candid betty in 1989 on going public with her demons. >> i took medications all day. then i would have cocktails and drinks in the ensflg in 1978, just 15 months after her husband left the white house, her family staged an intervention, and betty was admitted to a may value hospital for treatment. >> my name is betty and i'm an alcoholic. >> first former first lady to go public with such a revelation was unheard of. she did that much more than that in finding the betty ford center. >> to touch that many lives is a great gift. >> on july 8th, she died of natural causes. her funeral attended by mrs. obama, joining former president george bush who escorted former first lady nancy reagan.

betty ford was 93. >> no doubt about it, dogs are nicer than people. "60 minutes" curmudgeon and cbs newsmaker andy rooney. he spent more than 60 years at cbs. we spoke with him in 1987 about being america's resident watchdog and resident grouch. >> i have a unique place in american television. i wish i could do this forever. i can't, though. i'm not retiring. writers don't retire. >> she signed off on "60 minutes" in october vowing to continue writing. sadly he died a month later at 92. >> i don't say this often. but thank you. >> sooner or later, one day, i'm going to say, that's it. i'm free. >> jeff conaway's long struggles

came to an end in may. the actor who won our hearts in "grease" was gone. he co-start with john travolta and oliva newton-john. he starred in the original broadway. >> this is when i did "grease" on broadway. >> and when taxi premiered on tv, he was 27 playing an aspiring actor. >> your act called and said you got a big shot at a movie. 3:00 yesterday. >> yesterday? >> his struggle with drug adirection landed him on vh-1's "celebrity rehab." in his last "e.t." interview, jeff knew that he was up against tremendous odds. >> you cannot have a life like i have had and still be alive.

you can't. >> jeff died at age 60. >> i just want that beautiful feeling at looking at the sun and breathing in that fresh air and feeling the wind in your face and ain't life great? that's all i want. >> a sad end to a troubled life. and still to come on "e.t." -- more of the stars we love and lost in 2011 including amy winehouse and apple co-founder steve jobs. and coming this weekend -- >> the adventures of tintin. "e.t.'s" weekend special. from the animation studio to the set. >> look at this. >> how steven spielberg made this epic 3-d adventure come to life.

amy winehouse had a voice like no other from her generation. but sadly her career ended far too soon after a lengthy battle with drugs and alcohol. she leads our look back at the music stars we lost in 2011. july 23rd, police are called by london ambulance service to her $4 million flat in north london, amy's body guard discovered the singer with the sultry voice, she was not breathing. ♪ >> just 27 years old. an undeniable talent whose fame was overshadowed with a public battle with drug and alcohol addiction. ♪ >> amy's life was trouble. over the years, three arrests for assaults, two for drug possession. in the documentary, i told you i was trouble, she made no apologies for her lifestyle.

>> i made a lot of mistakes, you know, i always said that i regret things. ♪ >> in november, we lost heavy d., the rap star rose to fame in the late '08s and early '90s. he rapped on michael jackson's hit "jam" from his tchart-toppig "dangerous" album. heavy d was 44. >> i love being famous. i love being heavy d and all of the things that come with it. towering over bruce springteen and the e street band, clarence clemens. he maintained his relevance even as his health declined. despite surgeries, lady gaga's edge of glory would have lost its impact without his haunting solo. he suffered a stroke on june

12th and his horn was forever silenced six days later at the age of 69. >> you probably heard clarence a lot this holiday season, blasting his sax on bruce springsteen's "santa is coming to town." now, let's check in with two holiday correspondents. red and yellow. >> yellow, what was your best gift ever? >> the gift of friendship. >> well, i hope you kept the receipt. anyways, let's find out what some celebrities are calling their best gift ever. >> i just got a really good gift from my wife, she gave me a dog tag, it had all of our kids' birthday. >> my friends have been really amazing at putting photo albums together. snapshots of our lives together. >> a drum set that my parents gave me. they gave me a new drum set when i was 14.

>> i wanted a dog. santa brought me a little black lab wearing a santa hat. >> my son and daughter made me a scrap book of pictures that captured our lives over the year. >> i got a ballet bar for me to practice ballet on. that was pretty spectacular. >> she made a key lime cookie. and still ahead -- "e.t." remembers two beloved television legends. and the visionary man behind apple computers. plus, we'll reveal the five jewelers that were the highest selling at taylor's record-breaking auction.

zblenchts closed captioning sponsored by --

welcome back to "entertainment tonight." as we look back at the stars we lost. in 2011. let's throw it back to samantha harris in the "e.t." control room. >> mark, the cast of mash with the greatest in tv history. talk about all-star. alan ald ya, mike ferrell, this year, the show lost one of its best, harry morgan. to many fans, harry was first and foremost colonel sherman t. potter. >> i should be out. he played the sometimes cranky wise-cracking colonel for eight seasons and told "e.t." in 1991, that the show didn't have a secret formula with for its

award-winning run. he spent decades on tv. including "dragnet." his career spanned nearly 57 years. a veteran of stage and screen. >> i have been like 110 pictures, i didn't do it right 30 years ago. >> what do you mean you that you didn't it right? >> i'm just kidding. >> he died at 96. colonel potter the role of a lifetime. >> it made me a better human being. another beloved tv icon, james arness, of "gunsmoke." he played the peacemaker of dodge city for 20 years on one of cbs' longest running drama series. >> people look at you as that person. i was certainly anything but that guy. i'm arresting you for murder.

>> arness mostly starred in westerns in a career that spanned five decades. >> it's been a great life. >> james arness died at 88. the world lost a visionary with steve jobs died in october. >> today, apple is going to reinvent the phone. >> we call it the ipad. >> the founding father of apple computer left an incredible legacy for technology, music and movies. he gave us pixar. >> to infinity and beyond! >> this college dropout, this viral video of him is his first tv interview. in 2005 his inspirational commencement speech at stanford. >> your time is limited so don't waste it living someone else's life. >> jobs died at 56 from

pancreatic cancer. >> people are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do. >> jobs made billions of dollars, but it remains a mystery how much of his fortune he willed to charity. in contrast, elizabeth taylor made sure much of her riches benefit her aids foundation. now, it's time to reveal the top five selling jewels >> 11,000. 12,000. >> global bidding breaking records. her staggering collection fetching more than double the last jewelry sale. our number five and four are intertwined. a stunning emerald and diamond necklace but bvlgari. green gems surrounded by diamonds. more than $6 million. the pendant for $6.5 million. another amazing gift from

richard burton. >> he bought her a diamond and emerald necklace that she wore to grace kelly's 40th birthday party. >> as stunning as the hollywood most glamorous star was, she said that she had a tough time looking at her. >> i don't like the way i act. >> at number three the taj mahal given to elizabeth on her 40th birthday from you know who. it set a world record for an indian jewel for more than $8.8 million. >> the diamond, apparently, there was a man in audience who wanted to buy that for -- i think it was from kuala lumpur. at number two the elizabeth taylor diamond, the rectangul -

rectangular-cut diamond, it sold for over $8.8 million it nearly floored her. >> it was wonderful. and number one, the la peregrina necklace. the price, just under $12 million. >> sold to you. thank you very much. >> it's a pearl that's set in a very large necklace and the pearl has a history and on top of that, richard burton bought it for her and he bid against spanish royal family, it has a lot of allure. >> he bought the pearl in 1969 for $37,000. it was elizabeth who commissioned catrier for it. >> if you have an inspiration if you see something that inspires you to jewelry, and that's not

hard with maeme, my mind goes t jewelry all the time. >> exquisite jewels. she was an amazing woman. elizabeth's son, chris, said that his mother was a temporary k kustodian to the jewelry. we'll be right back. in tonight's "entertainment tonight" birthdays -- which actress in the upcoming man son girls filmed trained as a world class synchronized swimmer? your answer is next in the "e.t. birthdays."

in tonight's "entertainment tonight" birthdays -- which actress in the upcoming manson girls film trained as a world-class synchronized swimmer that is estell warren who today turns 33. we're working on next week's stories for you. we'll see you right back here on monday. in the meantime v a safe and wonderful christmas holiday